BATA board adopts mission, values & vision

TRAVERSE CITY - Integrity. Respect. Accountability. Community.

Those are the Bay Area Transportation Authority's new words to live by.

The BATA board of directors has adopted a formal mission, values and vision built around those four tenets.

"I think it tells the community that we want to be a public transit system that is an option for everyone in the region,” said BATA Executive Director Tom Menzel. "We will be working toward developing the kind of organization and the kind of service delivery system that is in alignment with that mission."

The mission states: "BATA delivers safe, high-quality, efficient and reliable transportation services in its region that link people, jobs, and communities.

"We already have an existing core ridership," Menzel said. "What we need to do now is reach out to demographic profiles that have never considered BATA a viable alternative, and determine how we can change our current business model to make us a viable option for them to consider in their transportation.

"It gives us a direction that we're in alignment with as an organization and as a board."

The mission, values and vision were developed by BATA in consultation with key staff, board members, riders and local leaders. BATA also researched other transit agencies' mission statements.

"The mission provides the answer to the 'Why?' questions, as in, 'We are adding this new piece of technology because the first tenet of our mission suggests that BATA delivers SAFE transportation services,' or 'We are hiring this person for their skills, but also for the compatibility of their own personal values with those of the organization,'" said Bill Palladino, partner with Krios Consulting, a local strategy firm working with BATA.

The next step will be a community survey to gather data about potential BATA riders and their needs. That process will not only involve potential riders, but governmental units, the Grand Vision, Michigan Land Use Institute, local chambers of commerce, schools and other key entities.

"We're going to be gathering information that will allow us to develop a strategic plan and a new brand that will reach out to all phases of the community," Menzel said. "The challenges will be going from serving the needs of a portion of the community to serving the needs of the whole community.

"Public transit needs to be for the general good and fit into an overall plan that links into economic development and is a key component of what is considered a healthy community. We want all of the stakeholders of BATA to understand why we're here, what we can do for them and how they can work with us to help realize the vision."

To view the complete vision statement, visit the Web site, click here.

Established in 1985 with the merger of Leelanau County Transit and Traverse City Dial-A-Ride, the Bay Area Transportation Authority is governed by a seven-member board of directors composed of appointees from Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. Providing an annual total of about 530,000 rides over 365 days, BATA operates a fleet of 60 buses and vans and employs about 110 people. Its funding comes from state and federal transportation programs, an authority-wide millage and revenue from usage.